Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Splitting grocery costs on holiday

29 replies

Monzomonzo · 07/06/2025 22:24

I’m currently on holiday with two other couples, we are all family so quite close. We have equal number of DC between us.

We are sharing a villa and have done joint food shops which makes the most sense. We are tending not to eat out too much as our DC are small so spending quite a bit on groceries.

Im currently pregnant and not drinking. The other couples are enjoying drinks throughout the day and evening which isn’t an insignificant amount; today we’ve been through a few bottles of wine, about 8 beers and some g&ts.

The couples still want to split grocery costs 3 ways equally but I am starting to find this unfair as I’m not able to drink any of the booze. AIBU to ask for us to pay less than 1/3? I don’t want to look tight but it’s not going to be the odd bottle of wine here and there by the end of the 10 day holiday.

OP posts:
LadyTable · 07/06/2025 22:30

Up to you really.

Not unreasonable if you really don't want to pay equal amounts.

Wouldn't bother me but I'm not you.

mismomary · 07/06/2025 22:31

Nope dont moan about the money, it's petty. Just buy some gorgeous non alcohólico drinks for yourself, and other treats. The price difference son be as much as you imagine.

Vaxtable · 07/06/2025 22:33

As a non drinker I wouldn’t want to pay for bottles of wine and beer for the others to drink, it’s expensive. I would just say can we buy the groceries and split 3 ways then you but the drink separately and pay between 2 couples, as I assume your partner doesn’t drink either

if they do then it should all bea three way split

InterestedDad37 · 07/06/2025 22:36

YANBU .. alcohol adds a significant amount to the bills ... and there's no point getting fancy non-alc drinks just to even things up. Just explain to them that you'd rather not have the alc included in the bills.

Copperoliverbear · 07/06/2025 22:38

Don’t saying anything about the money it’s one holiday, just split it it won’t be for ever.

bydwraigwrthymor · 07/06/2025 22:39

Set up on the Tricount app and then you can assign costs to people who benefit, so you can divide the booze between 5 instead of 6.

BlueRin5eBrigade · 07/06/2025 22:40

I don't drink and I don't pay for other people's booze. I'd suggest that they by their own booze. I'd happily split the food costs and soft drinks equally.

mrsfollowill · 07/06/2025 22:40

We did a few holidays with extended family a few years ago. After the 1st one we split the drinks out of the food budget and each of the 3 couples bought their own drinks separately. There was animosity the first time as parents of a young baby who got up to feed in the night eg drank far less than the parents of a 12 year old who was self sufficient in a house full of family.

SteamLover · 07/06/2025 22:43

I would just split it. You’re having a good time, they’re having a good time. That’s what you go on holiday for.

SteamLover · 07/06/2025 22:45

bydwraigwrthymor · 07/06/2025 22:39

Set up on the Tricount app and then you can assign costs to people who benefit, so you can divide the booze between 5 instead of 6.

The problem is this opens the way for people to say that they only drink the cheap wine or, or only have 2 glasses, or never touch the gin apart from that one time, and it all gets a bit ridiculous.

WeirdyBeardyMarrowBabyLady · 07/06/2025 22:46

Does your partner drink?

AdaColeman · 07/06/2025 22:47

Split the food costs three ways, and they can divide the drinks bill between them selves. Of course they will prefer a complete three way split!!
This would have been better decided before the holiday, but it's not too late to sort out if you act quickly.

feelingbleh · 07/06/2025 22:50

I wouldn't make an issue as I assume your partner is drinking. And it's just not worth it

MoominMai · 07/06/2025 22:51

InterestedDad37 · 07/06/2025 22:36

YANBU .. alcohol adds a significant amount to the bills ... and there's no point getting fancy non-alc drinks just to even things up. Just explain to them that you'd rather not have the alc included in the bills.

Yes I agree - if partner is also not drinking. It’s hardly difficult to pay for their own booze separately on individual receipts. If they are real friends, they’ll understand the unfairness of not doing so.

chatgptsbestmate · 07/06/2025 22:51

mismomary · 07/06/2025 22:31

Nope dont moan about the money, it's petty. Just buy some gorgeous non alcohólico drinks for yourself, and other treats. The price difference son be as much as you imagine.

I agree with this ^
The subject should have been discussed before the holiday
To bring it up now isn't on, imo

Sunshine1500 · 07/06/2025 23:01

Just split the bill but order some nice non alcoholic drinks and snacks that suit you.

Nearly50omg · 07/06/2025 23:06

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Motomum23 · 07/06/2025 23:07

Depends where in the world you are. If its Spain then booze is cheaper than coke. If France its only fractionally more expensive. I'd buy myself a couple of nice bottles of alcohol free something on the next shop and call it even
:)

ThinkThrice · 07/06/2025 23:12

We go away with 2 other couples and we have children. I'm teetotal and the others aren't. It wouldn't occur to me to be honest. Or at least it never has. I tend to think these things come out in the wash like I'm sure threre have been times if we've eaten out on holiday where members of my family group have eaten more / more expensive things and even so, the bill just goes 3 ways. The only difference might be that my dh does drink so it might feel less like an issue than if the 2 of us didn't drink yet we were paying for everyone else to.

PurpleThistle7 · 07/06/2025 23:16

I’ve been in this position a couple of times and we always did separate bills for alcohol and food as we had several years where someone was pregnant and we also have friends who don’t drink. But as you didn’t raise it ahead of time it would have to be a decent amount of money for me to raise it now.

healthybychristmas · 08/06/2025 01:42

When you go to the supermarket take two trolleys. One is for alcohol and that is split between the drinkers. One is for food and that's split equally between the adults.

Bjorkdidit · 08/06/2025 03:33

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

You can also tell the people who have no concept of money being a finite resource.

All very well saying 'just split it' but if that leads to an unbudgeted overspend then it could well be that needs to be made up for somewhere else in their finances.

As the OP is pregnant, it's reasonable to assume that they're going to take the hit of maternity leave and increased childcare and other costs so might need to be careful with money. In that case it's a real slap in the face when you end up paying for the extras for others enjoyed but you didn't.

Grimtastic · 08/06/2025 03:44

Personally I would hate for someone to subsidise my far more expensive meal or alcohol. I bung in an extra 10-20 or whatever to cover my fair share of the bill.

Id have no issue if you asked for food to be split between 6 but let’s buy our own evening drinks. I am a bit surprised no one in the group has suggested it.

MalcolmMoo · 08/06/2025 05:11

I’d probably just split three ways I don’t think I could get worked up about this and split it any other way. But up to you really.

arcticpandas · 08/06/2025 05:16

If your dh drinks I wouldn't say anything. Just get some of your favourite treats in there as well as you don't drink alcohol.

Swipe left for the next trending thread